LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — As students return to school in March they may notice canines in their high schools doing searches. In a joint effort to combat youth overdoses in schools and the community, Loudoun County entities will begin implementing random canine team searches on school grounds.
"We want to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to bring an end to this. It is very concerning," said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), and the Leesburg Police Department (LPD) announced the partnership on Monday as part of multiple intervention and prevention strategies aimed at curbing drug use across the county. Just last year, LCPS reported 11 suspected student overdoses during the school year.
“Working closely with law enforcement and leveraging this added layer of prevention helps to keep our spaces safe. By teaming up, we're making sure our schools stay focused on creating a positive environment for every student,” said LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. “Together, we can ensure that our educational spaces remain sanctuaries for growth where our students and staff feel protected."
Canine team scans will happen randomly and without advance notice starting in March at high schools across the county, with families receiving information after each scan.
“I think it’s a great way to go, as you know we’ve been pretty focused on prevention, education, and treatment," Chapman said.
WUSA9 had a chance to meet 2-year-old Jett, a male lab who will help conduct some of these searches. Dogs like Jett have specific training to detect opioids and aren’t focused on marijuana. The dogs doing these scans are labs and golden retrievers that authorities say won’t be intrusive.
“We’re not going to have the dogs target any of the kids or anything like that," Chapman said. "But certainly lockers and cars and things like that and any objects we have scan for any kind of drugs.”
At least 18 juveniles overdosed in Loudon County in 2023. The idea for this started with a conversation about what can they do next, or now to prevent anything else from happening.
“We’re sad that it’s necessary but looking at the situation and having a conversation with our amazing community partners," Loudoun County Public Schools Information Officer Dan Adams said.
LCPS said search teams will consist of a dog, their handler, the School Resource Officer, and an administrator, who will walk through schools and may be seen in hallways, near lockers, or in classrooms where students are not present in an attempt to minimize disruption to classes.
They said school buildings will be placed into a ‘hold’ status during each search, which means students and staff are to remain in classrooms during a situation, and instruction and other regular activities will continue without interruption. Each scan will take approximately an hour and a half, about the amount of time of one class block.
“Student safety is our number one priority and so we wouldn’t even consider this if we weren’t able to make it safe and doable," Adams said.
According to LCPS, the canines that will be used in the searches are trained for detection only and not apprehension; therefore, they will not be used to search students. They added that these canines undergo rigorous training in obedience, scent detection, agility, and socialization preparing them to assist law enforcement in various situations.
“We’re trying to make sure that [students] don’t overdose," Chapman said.
The outcomes of any scan will not be disclosed, as any findings could potentially be integrated into a law enforcement investigation.
“The LCSO is working aggressively with LCPS to keep dangerous substances out of our schools and communities,” said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman. “More student and community awareness of the danger, coupled with greater deterrence, are key to our long-term success, and I am hopeful that the use of canine scans will help.”
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